My family and I have attended Thunder Over Louisville in varying venues and methods over the years. Before we had children, my husband and I attended with friends once or twice on the Great Lawn and another time at a riverfront office space in Southern Indiana. One year we took our daughter down for the air show and managed to maneuver her stroller through the crowds (and have her potty in her portable seat as she was potty training at the time.) That was eventful. A couple of years ago when Thunder was a downpour, cold, dreary day we had bought tickets for the Louisville Bats Baseball event and attended Thunder at Louisville Slugger Field. If the weather had been 10 degrees warmer and a ray of sunshine had met the earth that year, maybe it would have been more memory-making.

All in all, I’ve experienced Thunder in one way or another. This year we will be attending during the day for a few hours. We have a 20-month-old now and I just don’t want to trot all over downtown with a young toddler who is in fact a monkey and does not like to be contained. I’m not one of those moms who likes the thought of “leashing” my child with those teddy bear backpacks, but I’m seriously thinking about it.

It is the weekend, and this city is big enough that if you don’t necessarily want to attend Thunder, you can find some other family-friendly ideas. Here are some that caught my eye:

Friday, April 19, 7-8:30pm: Howl at the Moon at Jefferson Memorial Forest. Take your family and your furry friend out for a night hike under the stars. $6 per dog and pre-registration is required. Call 502-368-5404 or visit www.memorialforest.com

Saturday, April 20, 9am-12pm: FOX (Families Outside X-ploring) at Jefferson Memorial Forest. Metro Parks is hosting these family events throughout the year. A naturalist will lead your family on an outdoor adventure which will include hikes, getting up close and personal with critters, and taking a break from technology. $8 per family and pre-registration is required. Call 502-368-5404 or visit www.memorialforest.com

Sunday, April 21, 1:30pm-6pm: Girls IdeaFestival at Spalding University. The Louisville Girls Leadership presents this conference which is created “by girls, for girls.” If you have daughters in high school, they will benefit greatly from the discussions planned. If you register online, the cost is free; otherwise it is $5 at the door.

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Longtime Louisvillian, I am a children's librarian at heart and have a passion for children's lit. I am most recently a stay-at-home mom who is always on the move, searching for family fun in Louisville. If it's free, it's preferable!